Good Will Hunting Is A Therapeutic Session In Itself

I have been toying with the idea of going back and lending my views on older films that were released pre-blog. It has come to fruition with a film that fits my life situation perfectly.

Being someone who is in therapy and has found it an extremely wonderful a true life force that has helped myself exist and even make this site and career more than I ever imagined.

There are many films that show scenes of one on one therapy and and that show great breakthroughs due to great therapy sessions. Such films include everything from Ordinary People to the recent Silver Linings Playbook. Though the one I’ve chosen to look back at s Good Will Hunting.

Released in 1997 amid the flurry of a new James Bond film and Titanic, Good Will Hunting didn’t stand a chance at initial looking. It would take a video release and a most memorable Oscar win for the film really take off and stand the test of time.

The story is that of a very troubled yet extremely brilliant young boy named Will who’s rough background and neighborhood make his gift even more unlikely. He is soon discovered by a professor at MIT where he is working as a janitor. The professor soon helps him out of a serious legal jam but one condition is a weekly therapy session and after an extensive search of top notch therapist the professor is forced to rekindle a relationship he is reluctant to. Knowing this is the man that can break the young man he convinces him to take Will on and help him work through his issues and help him be the young man he can be proud of. The feud and Wills past tends to get in the way at times but the relationship formed between will and his therapist, Sean is unbreakable and the lessons earned will carry young Will through his life and help him be the man he should.

With career making performances from a very young Matt Damon to the seasoned Robin Williams, Good Will Hunting can’t help but leave you moved and enraptured in moments especially when the two meet on screen from the first time on screen to the very last.

Damon and Affleck defined their early careers with the writing of this movie that lead to and Academy Award win and careers that would eventually be bench marks in several facets.

The reason I chose this movie is because like I mentioned earlier, having been in therapy and still in it’s world I understood the connection Will and Sean had. Having that connection end was a very difficult aspect to my treatment but I none the less look back on it with fondness, much the same one will this film.

The chemistry between Sean (Robin Williams) and Will (Matt Damon) is almost unparalleled on screen. It truly begins and culminates in a scene where Sean breaks down Will to the very core after he has done so to numerous therapist and then had their unwillingness to help him. Sean refuses to do so and by breaking him down on a park bench, earns Will’s respect. It is at this moment the therapy begins.

Titanic won most Oscars the year this film came out but not all The tragedy of the Academy Awards was in full spotlight that year. Good Will Hunting was and still is the better film and will continue to capture audiences and will also stand the test of time.

I would like to take this last paragraph to thank my own personal Sean, named Ray for all he did for me and his ability to build me up, break me down and make me want to get better and be better. I hope Ray reads this one day and understands how much his help meant to me. It was and still is like the first time is was drawn into Good Will Hunting and it will stand the test of time the same as the film will, Thank You.

2 thoughts on “Good Will Hunting Is A Therapeutic Session In Itself”

Good Will Hunting is quite easily my #1 film of all time. I love it. I think it has a great story, sensitive and subtle directing from Sant, absolutely terrific performances all around, especially from Damon and at-his-best-when-serious Williams. As you’ve said, those two had great chemistry and it showed in some of the best scenes where Will and him are going back and forth. I love this movie. I’m glad you took something out of it and applied it to your own situation. Good write-up!